From the Gallows starts things off with another quick flashback in the Garcia household, this time focusing on the brothers’ father and his relationship with his sons.
The predicament that Episode 4: Thicker than Water left players in was arguably the worst cliffhanger in this season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead.
What Is It?
Once you get started with season three’s final episode, as expected, shit has definitely hit the fan.
By now, Javi has gotten people killed and his soldier of a brother shows his true colors, mindlessly hurting and killing others and to make matters worse, you don’t know if Kate is even alive. The Garcias are now hardly anybody’s favorite people in Richmond, the community’s government was pretty much overthrown, and hardly any of this matters because a ridiculously large herd of walkers is ready to attack the city walls.
Why Should I Care?
While the previous episodes in A New Frontier did an impressive job zeroing in on the relationships Javi had with specific characters, From the Gallows also does a heck of a job showing how their dynamics have changed leading up to this point. Javi has developed a clear sense of camaraderie with each of the remaining survivors, and the moments of conversation Javi has with each one all have their highlights. And unlike Season Two, I actually developed a liking for each and every one of the characters remaining.
Clementine and Javi make an awesome team.
That said, I didn’t find the ending satisfying. While it ends in a way that makes a fourth season all but guaranteed, it’s tough to decide whether the game’s “big decision” really mattered. The decision I came to was actually the path less chosen, and I’m having trouble understanding why that was the case, considering that it’s this path the game really sets itself up for you to choose–at least that’s what I believe.
What Makes It Worth My Time And Money?
Much in tune with the rest of the season’s episodes, there isn’t even a bit of challenge with the gameplay. There are no puzzles to solve, and each of the QTEs are relatively simple as long as you know your controller’s button layout. You don’t even have any of those sequences as Javi where you have to talk to every person. Literally everything is spoonfed, as it feels like all you really have to do is button through. Aside from the act of making tough decisions, the supposedly most difficult part in the episode has Javi putting on zombie guts to walk through a herd without being noticed. If you die there, you probably don’t have any sense of analog dexterity.
Of course, nobody plays Telltale games because of the challenge or their gameplay mechanics. Telltale understands their method of interactive storytelling, and it isn’t broken, so there’s nothing to fix. I wish this final episode packed a heavier punch, but it doesn’t make the season any better or worse. In fact, it’s every bit as fun as the last one was.
—
Check out our reviews of previous episodes of Telltale’s The Walking Dead: A New Frontier.
Title:
The Walking Dead - A New Frontier, Episode 5: From the Gallows
Platform:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mobile
Publisher:
Telltale Games
Developer:
Telltale Games
Genre:
Adventure
Release Date:
May 30, 2017
ESRB Rating:
M
Developer's Twitter:
Editor's Note:
The season pass for the Xbox One version of the game was provided by the publisher.
“The Walking Dead – A New Frontier, Episode 5: From the Gallows” Review
The predicament that Episode 4: Thicker than Water left players in was arguably the worst cliffhanger in this season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead. What Is It? Once you get started with season three’s final episode, as expected, shit has definitely…
From the Gallows starts things off with another quick flashback in the Garcia household, this time focusing on the brothers’ father and his relationship with his sons.
The predicament that Episode 4: Thicker than Water left players in was arguably the worst cliffhanger in this season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead.
What Is It?
Once you get started with season three’s final episode, as expected, shit has definitely hit the fan.
By now, Javi has gotten people killed and his soldier of a brother shows his true colors, mindlessly hurting and killing others and to make matters worse, you don’t know if Kate is even alive. The Garcias are now hardly anybody’s favorite people in Richmond, the community’s government was pretty much overthrown, and hardly any of this matters because a ridiculously large herd of walkers is ready to attack the city walls.
Why Should I Care?
While the previous episodes in A New Frontier did an impressive job zeroing in on the relationships Javi had with specific characters, From the Gallows also does a heck of a job showing how their dynamics have changed leading up to this point. Javi has developed a clear sense of camaraderie with each of the remaining survivors, and the moments of conversation Javi has with each one all have their highlights. And unlike Season Two, I actually developed a liking for each and every one of the characters remaining.
Clementine and Javi make an awesome team.
That said, I didn’t find the ending satisfying. While it ends in a way that makes a fourth season all but guaranteed, it’s tough to decide whether the game’s “big decision” really mattered. The decision I came to was actually the path less chosen, and I’m having trouble understanding why that was the case, considering that it’s this path the game really sets itself up for you to choose–at least that’s what I believe.
What Makes It Worth My Time And Money?
Much in tune with the rest of the season’s episodes, there isn’t even a bit of challenge with the gameplay. There are no puzzles to solve, and each of the QTEs are relatively simple as long as you know your controller’s button layout. You don’t even have any of those sequences as Javi where you have to talk to every person. Literally everything is spoonfed, as it feels like all you really have to do is button through. Aside from the act of making tough decisions, the supposedly most difficult part in the episode has Javi putting on zombie guts to walk through a herd without being noticed. If you die there, you probably don’t have any sense of analog dexterity.
Of course, nobody plays Telltale games because of the challenge or their gameplay mechanics. Telltale understands their method of interactive storytelling, and it isn’t broken, so there’s nothing to fix. I wish this final episode packed a heavier punch, but it doesn’t make the season any better or worse. In fact, it’s every bit as fun as the last one was.
—
Check out our reviews of previous episodes of Telltale’s The Walking Dead: A New Frontier.
Written by: Danreb Victorio
Date published: 06/07/2017
3.5 / 5 stars
by Danreb Victorio
